Frankie

When Frankie Dettori stormed to victory on Golden Horn in the 2015 Derby, the effervescent Italian jockey was writing yet another extraordinary chapter in a remarkable sporting story. This tribute to the hugely popular sportsman draws on the unique resources of the Racing Post to chronicle the Dettori career as never before. The son of a Milanese Classic-winning jockey has been Champion jockey on three occasions and has ridden such equine superstars as Dubai Millennium, Lochsong, Lammtarra, Daylami, and his first Derby winner, Authorized. He made worldwide headlines when winning every contest on a seven-race card in September 1996, which made him a household name. The Dettori story has also had its darker side: surviving a plane crash in 2000 in which the pilot was killed; a six-month suspension in December 2012 for contravening racing’s drugs rules; losing the lucrative job as first jockey to Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation. But Frankie has always bounced back, and his next flying dismount is never far away.

Brough Scott, a former jumps jockey, has covered racing for many years. He has written several books, including the award-winning Henry Cecil: Trainer of Genius.